I can’t believe this is happening to me.
As recently as two years ago, when asked by my high school classmates if I still play my trumpet, my answer was always no. In 1971, after experiencing years of great things because of music, I packed the old horn away. I decided playing music for a career would be a very risky and difficult path to take and a normal family life would not likely be in the cards for me. I had lots of great memories attained through music….the high school championships under the direction of Bill Basden, my stint as an army bandsman in which I ultimately ended up in the recording band for American Forces Network Radio – Europe and, while stationed stateside in Virginia, played in what many felt was the second best R&B band in Virginia at the time. We were the Rotations Band and Show (The #1 R&B band in Virginia in the late sixties was Bill Deal and the Rhondels). Those memories would be enough. It was time to move on. Over the next thirty-six years, with the exception of about a three month period in 1991, my horn just sat in its’ case.
In early 2007 Steve Jarrell, one of the guys I played in the Rotations with, organized a 40th anniversary band reunion. If Steve’s name sounds familiar to you it’s because he is a two-time inductee in the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame. I pulled the horn out, blew into it and what I heard I wouldn’t wish on any band director anywhere. It was terrible. But I worked hard at it and by the time of the reunion I was good enough to play for maybe thirty minutes without embarrassing myself.
But the bug had bitten and I wanted more. I joined a band that broke up three days after my first gig. Then I joined another band that broke up last September but is now reorganizing.
In the meantime Steve and former Rotation keyboard player Gene Wells have been moonlighting doing a two man show that is greatly enhanced by the use of computers. About a month ago they asked me if I’d be interested in playing four jobs in three days during Thanksgiving weekend (Friday-Sunday)….in the area of the Bahamas known as the Abacos. I went and couldn’t believe what a great time I had. This past Friday Steve called me and asked me to fill-in on trumpet with his regular band, Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach, this Saturday night. I’ll be flying to Atlanta this Saturday afternoon (December 13) to play one one-hour set at the Georgia World Congress Center. We’ll be staying at the Omni Hotel.
I really find it hard to believe all this is happening to me at age sixty-one but I’m really soaking it in and “enjoying the moment” to the max. My guess is all of us from the class of ’65 thinks about his or her mortality from time to time. With some exceptions, we don’t know how much time we have left in our lives. So maybe my message here is to enjoy every moment you have left doing the things you really love to do. You don’t get a second opportunity.
Happy Holidays Everyone.
Jim
I added the emphasis in the last paragraph, but I second Jim's message here. I know that my photographic output has increased tremendously in the past few years and I find myself looking at my surroundings differently.
I'm hoping to get an update from Jim soon on show details. I'm about 2 1/2 hours away from Atlanta and could conceivably make the show if it is public.
[update] Jim doesn't have the details right now, but he thinks it is a private party and will feed me more details as he gets them. I'll keep you posted.
[latest update] Jim passes on the news that this is, indeed, a private function so there will be to trip to Atlanta this weekend for me although I do need to make a trip to see some friends. That will have to wait 'til after the first of the year!
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